2011 schedule - MediaSpan
2011 schedule - MediaSpan
2011 schedule - MediaSpan
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THURSDAY, AUGUST 25, <strong>2011</strong><br />
FOOTBALL <strong>2011</strong><br />
AMERICAN PRESS<br />
31<br />
IOWA<br />
Numbers up for Yellow Jackets<br />
.<br />
BY JIM GAZZOLO<br />
AMERICAN PRESS<br />
In his second year as head<br />
football coach at Iowa, Sean<br />
Richard likes the direction<br />
his program is headed.<br />
After suffering through a<br />
3-7 season a year ago, the<br />
Yellow Jackets appear ready<br />
to rebound. At least that is<br />
the hope.<br />
District<br />
4-3A<br />
With 94 players<br />
out for the program,<br />
Iowa has the<br />
start of some big<br />
numbers. Last<br />
year Richard said he had only<br />
about 25 players who knew<br />
what to expect. This year<br />
everybody is on the same<br />
page.<br />
“The kids seem to be getting<br />
it,” Richard said. “They<br />
know what we want from<br />
them, and they are excited<br />
about the way things are<br />
going.”<br />
There is a lot of optimism<br />
surrounding the Yellow<br />
Jackets despite some heavy<br />
losses.<br />
Gone is do-everything<br />
quarterback Gene Pete, who<br />
threw for 1,013 yards and<br />
rushed for another 912<br />
He combined to either run<br />
or throw for 21 of Iowa’s 30<br />
touchdowns.<br />
“He was a big part of our<br />
team last year,” Richard said.<br />
“He was a great kid, a great<br />
leader and will be tough to<br />
replace, but we think we have<br />
somebody ready.”<br />
That somebody is junior<br />
Austin Theriot, who played<br />
last year both at quarterback<br />
and wide receiver.<br />
“Austin is a good athlete<br />
who has shown us a lot this<br />
past year,” Richard said.<br />
“We like the things he can<br />
do for us. We will be counting<br />
on him this year.”<br />
He will have a big target in<br />
all-district receiver Mason<br />
Ceasar, who hauled in 31<br />
catches for 273 yards and a<br />
touchdown last fall.<br />
“Mason is a good one, and<br />
we are developing some other<br />
Clockwise from left, Blake Vidrine, Zack Hebert, Mason Ceasar, and Joel Smith will be counted<br />
on by head coach Sean Richard as Iowa attempts to bounce back from a 3-7 season.<br />
good targets for Austin,”<br />
Richard said. “We should<br />
have some more weapons this<br />
year.”<br />
That will include running<br />
backs Gerald Marshall and<br />
KAREN WINK / AMERICAN PRESS<br />
Deon Galmore, both of whom<br />
return after getting plenty of<br />
playing time last year.<br />
AT A GLANCE<br />
■ HEAD COACH: Sean<br />
Richard (3-7, second year)<br />
■ DISTRICT: District 4-3A<br />
■ LAST YEAR: 3-7, 2-3<br />
(fourth in district, no playoffs)<br />
■ OFFENSE: QB Austin<br />
Theriot; HB Gerald Marshall;<br />
FB Deon Galmore; WR Mason<br />
Ceasar; WR Andrew Self; TE<br />
Zach Hebert; LT Blake Vidrine;<br />
LG Joel Smith; C Darrell<br />
Nunez; RG David Kershaw; RT<br />
Kane Fontenot<br />
■ DEFENSE: DE Jimmy<br />
Maple; DT Logan Autin; DT<br />
Tremel Alfred; DE Blake<br />
Vidrine; WLB Devon Thomas;<br />
MLB Lane Richard; CB Andrew<br />
Self; SS Cody Burgess; FS<br />
Jeremy Williams; WS Garett<br />
Dartez<br />
■ SPECIALISTS: K<br />
Christian Rodriguez; P Garrett<br />
Trahan<br />
With 12 returning lettermen,<br />
11 of whom have some<br />
starting experience, the<br />
Yellow Jackets hope they<br />
have enough to build around.<br />
However, only one of those<br />
starters returns on defense.<br />
“We have some more size<br />
than a year ago, but we did<br />
lose a lot of good players that<br />
will need to be replaced,”<br />
Richard said.<br />
“One good thing, this<br />
group of kids have been<br />
together for a couple of years<br />
now, so they know each other<br />
and work well together. Those<br />
are some big things that can<br />
help us.”<br />
The Yellow Jackets are<br />
hoping they can use the past<br />
year to gain the experience<br />
they needed to become a<br />
much more competitive team.<br />
“The program is really in<br />
better shape now,” Richard<br />
said.<br />
“The kids have bought<br />
into the system and are excited<br />
about the upcoming season.”<br />
While the Yellow Jackets<br />
will be young, they are hoping<br />
the extra numbers they<br />
have in the program can turn<br />
into victories on the scoreboard.